Come A Little Closer
by CSIcorrespondent
Summary: She is always there, and he can't ignore it anymore.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Just watched 'The Eyes Have It" and thought of this little drabble as an explanation as to why they're so close in Season 4 and 5. It's incredibly fluffy (no smut in this one, folks!) and all mistakes are my own. Reviews are always welcomed! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Criminal Minds or 3:10 to Yuma or its characters._

It started out innocently enough. They'd been through a lot; he's blown up in New York and she's beaten by Cyrus in Colorado. On a Friday night when the team goes for drinks after another rough case, they're the last ones left at the table.

Emily stared into her vodka soda as Hotch swirled his beer. It's normal for the silence to take over. They've been doing this a lot lately, just sitting and enjoying the fact that someone's there. Hotch's cell phone interrupted the quiet and he answered it.

Emily frowned. He's getting upset as he talked, and she unabashedly eavesdropped on the conversation. It's about Jack, so she assumed that it's his ex-wife on the line. He hung up with a sigh and dropped the phone onto the table in front of them. She raised an eyebrow and he shook his head.

"Haley's taking Jack out of town for the next few days to see her parents." He took a drink of his beer, knocking the rest of it back. "It'll bump my weekend to next Saturday."

Emily nodded sadly. If it was moved to the following weekend, there was no guarantee that Hotch would be there if a case came up. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault. It's the terms that come with divorce." He set his glass forward so that their waitress could take it. "You want to stay for another?"

Emily finished her drink. Either they could stay there and drink the night away with a handful of strangers, or they could go somewhere else. The usual arrangement would be that they would say their goodnights and take a cab home to be alone. But Emily can't leave him alone tonight, not when he looked so sad. So she took a deep breath and made him an offer. "How do you feel about going back to my place for a bit? We could order a pizza and watch a movie. Just chill out if you want."

Hotch stared at her. He had been to her apartment a few times when she had invited the team over, and they were friends after all. He checked his watch. It was getting late, just about past midnight. They were on a stand down for the next three days, so neither of them had anywhere to be in the morning. In the back of his mind he knew the risks and the fact that he was feeling something that he knew wasn't appropriate for the woman sitting across from him. A public place was fine, but secluded in her apartment? He realized he was hesitating and that she was still waiting for an answer, so he took a leap. "Sure, let's go."

Emily nodded and searched in her purse for her wallet, but Hotch threw down enough to both cover their drinks and give the waitress a hefty tip before she could blink "Hotch, it's ok. I can get mine."

"It's fine, Emily. Did you drive?"

"No I got a ride with JJ. You?"

Hotch shook his head. "Dave. Cab?"

Emily nodded and waited for him to slide out of the booth. Hotch waved the waitress over to hand her the money and thanked her for her service. The woman gave Hotch a smile and wished the two of them a good night and left them to leave. Once outside, Hotch went to work at flagging down a taxi which was effortless. The two climbed in the back and Emily gave the driver her address.

The ride was quiet, with Hotch making simple chitchat with the driver and Emily staring out the window. It was starting to rain and she watched as the droplets of water meandered their way down the glass. She noticed that they were turning onto her street and she dug for cash in her wallet, handing it to the driver before Hotch could. She grinned at him and thanked the driver as he pulled over. Hotch just shook his head and followed her out of the taxi.

They walked up the steps to her brownstone and Hotch waited patiently for her to open the door. Once inside, she took her heels off and hung her jacket up. She watched Hotch hang his coat up next to her and she noticed that there were droplets of water in his hair from the brief moment that they'd been outside. They were glistening in the strong light of her foyer and when he looked at her, she knew she was in trouble. But here they were, and she wasn't about to kick him out.

"Make yourself at home." She started talking so that she could distract herself from the obvious tension that was building between them. "What can I get you? Another beer? Or I have wine too, I think I'll have a glass if you want to join me."

He nodded. "Wine would be great. It's been awhile." He followed her into the kitchen and accepted the wine glass that she passed him.

"I have a cab sauv and a merlot, and I remember seeing some white around here somewhere."

"Whatever you like is fine with me." He watched as she popped the cork on the merlot, pouring the dark liquid into each of their glasses. They both take sips and she's the one to break the silence again.

"I'll order the pizza now. Any preferences?"

"No." He's one of those people that likes everything, and she's grateful for that.

"Okay, I'll get an all-dressed." She dialed the number for the pizza place just around the corner and placed the order quickly. They have twenty to forty minutes to spare. "Couch?" He nodded in agreement, following her to the living room. She showed him her DVD collection and he's silently impressed. "What do you feel like?"

He shrugged. "Nothing specific. I'm not a big fan of romantic comedies unfortunately."

"Have you seen this?" She held up a copy of the remake of _3:10 to Yuma_. "I just got it the other day."

"No. Looks fine." He sat on the couch and watched her put the movie in. "Are you a fan of Christian Bale?"

"You got me." She joined him on the couch, curling her legs under her. "That dark hair and intense gaze gets me. I'm sure many women agree."

"I'm sure they do." The opening credits started and he forced himself to look away from her. He sipped his wine slowly, sneaking glances at Emily when he could. She was completely enthralled in the movie, and he noticed that her glass was empty. He got up and grabbed the wine bottle from the kitchen, returning to pour her a glass.

Emily smiled her thanks. "Do you mind if I grab a blanket? I'm a little cold."

Hotch shook his head. "Of course not."

Emily looked under her coffee table and pulled out one of her fleece blankets. "Here, come a little closer. We can share."

He hesitated but agreed and slid closer to her, feeling the cloudiness of his mind with the addition of the wine. She handed him half of the blanket and smoothed it out over her lap. There's only a few inches between them now, and Hotch is sure that he's not the only one that has noticed. Emily doesn't seem concerned and has curled up next to him, so he decided to just go with it. After all, it's been awhile since he'd been this close to a woman this beautiful, outside of their work of course. So he does something that surprised both of them and put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

Emily looked up at him. He met her gaze, and his eyes momentarily slipped down to her lips. It was only a flicker, but she caught it and can't ignore it. Her eyes widened. "Hotch?"

Hotch looked up at her, staring into her eyes. He's decided that he's tired of thinking and ignoring the chemistry that's been building between them for months. It's a short kiss and he released her immediately, both surprised at himself and silently hoping that he hasn't messed up the closest friendship and working relationship he's formed with someone. His eyes searched hers and he started to apologize. Maybe he's read it all wrong. "Emily, I'm-"

But then she leaned forward and kissed him back and all thought escaped his brain except that he can't screw this up. He can't lose her too.

She's pushed her hands flat against his chest to clutch his sweater, deepening the kiss. She's making out with him on her couch like they're a couple of teenagers, something that she's only dreamed about and then subsequently pushed back into her subconscious. She should feel bad but she doesn't, especially when his hands slid up her arms and pull her closer into him.

Emily moaned and the fog from his brain lifted. His shirt is untucked and her pants have somehow come unbuttoned. He pulled back, heaving for breath, and looked at her swollen lips and disheveled hair. He says the first thing that comes to his mind. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Thank you." She blushed, which hasn't happened in years. He's such a sweet man and she's not about to waste the time she has with him. She reached across him and turned the TV off, the movie long forgotten. "So, do you think you might want to move this to somewhere a little more comfortable?" The butterflies in her stomach intensify at the chance of his rejection. It's too fast and she should know better but she doesn't care. She can feel his arousal against her and knows that he can feel the connection they have.

"Emily, are you sure?" He searched her eyes for any signs of doubt. "You know that's not the reason I came here."

"I know it's not, but we're here now. I know it's selfish and that we have to go to work on Monday and god knows it might be awkward, but at this point I honestly haven't wanted anything more." She's brutally honest with him because she can't push the feelings away. Not after he's been so attentive. "But if you can't, then I understand that too. And I can walk away."

"Don't." He leaned in and kissed her so softly that she's just as breathless as before even though it only lasted a second. He groaned at the sound of the doorbell, announcing the arrival of their pizza. "Can you get that?"

She nodded and hopped up from the couch, forcing herself to focus for a minute. She grabbed her wallet and fished out a twenty, opening the door for the young man waiting and taking the pizza. She handed him the money and thanked him, and couldn't shut the door fast enough. She turned back to look at the man she had left on the couch and caught his eye. "I hope you're okay with cold pizza."

Hotch nodded mutely and looked up as she came closer, taking his hand. He stood as she pulled him up, and she's right back into it immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him deeply. They stumbled backwards and Emily laughed as she released him and led him quickly to her room.

Once inside, she has him out of his shirt in a flash. Her own hit the floor seconds later and she's not laughing anymore. The look in his eyes gave her chills, and she felt the nerves bubbling up into her stomach. But she doesn't have time to feel anything but pure want as he gently pushed her onto her bed, but she's okay with that.

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Emily yawned as she curled into Hotch's side. "Can you stay?"

He nodded. He's started to catch his breath again, and he's not even close to being ready to leave. The woman next to him is insatiable, but he has no complaints because he can't get enough of her. "Hungry?"

"Hmmmm, I could eat." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Will you bring me pizza in bed, Agent Hotchner?"

"I think I can arrange that, Agent Prentiss." He leaves a lingering kiss on her lips and gets up, pulling his boxers on quickly. He walked into the kitchen and finds a plate in her cupboard, piling pieces of pizza onto it and grabbing a few napkins. Returning to the bedroom, Hotch stared at the brunette spread out with only a thin sheet covering her. He set the plate down next to her and she gave him an appreciative smile.

"Thank you." She started to devour a piece as he ate quietly next to her, stretched out on the bed. They eat quietly, and Emily is finished before him. "Do we need to discuss anything?" It's the elephant that's coming back into the room and she wished that they didn't have to deal with it.

Hotch finished his pizza before turning to her. "Emily, you know the rules of the Bureau. This isn't supposed to happen." He winced at how it came out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that."

"No, it's okay. I understand what you meant." She leaned her head against his arm. "We can't say anything." It's not a question because she knows the answer to it.

"I'm sorry." It's the last thing in the world that he wants to do, but he has to hide her. They can ruin her and he can't let that happen. "But, that doesn't mean that we can't…continue this. We just have to be cautious."

"Good, because I don't like any possibilities that involve this ending." Emily slid closer to him, molding herself into his side. "Mom's the word."

"That includes JJ and Penelope." He smirked as she rolled her eyes. "How do you think the entire office knows about Derek's catch of the week?"

Emily nodded in agreement. She loved both of her friends, but when an ounce of gossip was presented they often spread it like wildfire. She herself had been guilty of the same on occasion. "It's between you and me. You can be my dirty little secret."

Hotch frowned at her but she easily wiped it away with a soft kiss. He pushed her back and leaned over her to return the favour briefly. Pulling back, he gave her a serious look. "Emily, if it could be different, I would want it to be. I care about you."

"I know." Her thumb moved across his cheek. "I care about you too. Let's just not worry about it for a little bit, okay?" She yawned and he fell back into the mattress, pulling her against him.

"Okay." He reveled in the fact that he could hold her in his arms, and watched her fall asleep. He pushed all of the thoughts in his mind away and just focused on her. He pressed a kiss against the top of her head and closed his eyes.

He had her for now, and that's all that he needed.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Since you all asked so nicely...this is a few weeks or so before 'To Hell and Back' maybe? Might have one or two more chapters in me if you all want it, but for now it'll stay complete. Mistakes are all my own as usual._

_Disclaimer: See chapter one._

She was surprised how easy it was to lie to her friends. After a week of sneaking around, she still had nervous butterflies in her stomach. After a month, she didn't have to force herself to stop looking over her shoulder when they would go out in public. After six months, she had forgotten that she was supposed to be hiding it and it became second nature to her.

Late one evening, after finishing a case, the team decided to stay the night at a small hotel in a tiny town just outside of Milwaukee. Emily had watched as JJ had handed out the keys, biting her lip to keep from smiling when they all split up for the night. She couldn't stop herself from knocking on the adjoining door, knowing that she and Hotch had gotten extremely lucky when they were placed in neighboring rooms.

"Emily." It only took him a minute to answer. It was one in the morning and they were both running on three hours of sleep over the last three days. "Is there something wrong?"

She stared at him for a moment. He was still in work mode, and this was the first time she'd broken their rules while on a case. "I just needed to see you. Can I come in?"

Hotch hesitated, but stood aside and allowed her to enter. She sat on the edge of his bed and watched as he closed the door. "Do you want to stay?"

Emily thought for a moment. They'd been so careful, never becoming intimate while on the road. And they would be home in the morning, but she didn't want to wait that long. It was too dangerous, but tonight it was almost too easy. "Do you want me to?"

"Yes, but it can't become a routine." Hotch took his tie off and unbuttoned his top shirt button.

"I know." Emily stood up and took his tie from him, placing it on the nightstand. She looped her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry, I missed you."

"I missed you too." He kissed her softly. Even though they saw each other every day, they had only been together outside of work three times in the last month. "Dave and Derek are down the hall."

She pulled back and started unbuttoning his shirt, smirking. She had started to become more vocal when she was with Hotch, a fact that had amused and pleased him many times. "My lips are sealed."

He nodded, slipping his shirt off as he watched Emily toss her own next to his. Even after six months, he was still surprised that he was allowed to touch her. He raised a hand and ran it along her arm, watching her shiver. "Come here for a second."

Emily slid her arms around his waist and let him hold her. He had done this before when they had bad cases. They stood there for a minute, just enjoying the warmth and comfort of each other. Hotch kissed her head and released her, reaching up to cup her face with his hands. Emily frowned as she saw how serious he was. "What is it Aaron?"

He stared at her for a moment before speaking. "I just don't want to lose you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." She sat down on the bed, bringing him with her. "You're not going to lose me. You'll never lose me."

Hotch nodded, kissing her back. "These last few cases-"

"I know," Emily interrupted, continuing to disrobe him. "Me too. But right now, I'm here and you're here. That's all that matters."

He realized that she had him down to his underwear and she was still partially clothed, so he rolled her over and slid her pants over her hips. And after that, there was no more talking.

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Emily watched Hotch turn the light off in the bathroom and walk over to join her on the bed. "Do you want to talk?"

He slid under the covers, pulling her body tightly against his so that they were almost sharing a pillow. "I'm alright."

"Okay. But I'm here and I'm not going anywhere for another five hours." She kissed his cheek, wrapping her arms around him. "I don't think I could move even if I needed to."

"I'm sorry if I was too rough."

"Aaron, you never have to apologize for that." Emily stared at him. "But really, if you need to talk, you know I'm here for you."

"I know." He kissed her forehead. She was like a mirage to him sometimes, so close and so beautiful that he didn't think it could be real. But she was here with him, and he knew from experience that life wasn't something to be wasted when it came to finding happiness. "These last few cases made me realize something."

"What's that?" She waited patiently, watching his face as he pondered his choice of words.

"When I'm with you, I'm the happiest I've been since…well, a long time." Hotch took her hand and squeezed it. "I hate it sometimes that we have to hide this."

"I'm happy too." She squeezed his hand back. "Does this mean you want to tell the team?"

Hotch shook his head. "As much as I want to tell them, I don't think it's the right time yet. But it will be soon."

Emily nodded, fighting to keep her eyes open. She yawned and cuddled into his side. "Did you set the alarm?"

"Yes." Hotch pushed her hair out of her eyes, giving her one last kiss for the night. "Go to sleep." He watched her drift off and soon followed her.

The next morning came too soon, and Emily moaned as she heard the dinging of the cell phone alarm. She rolled over to see Hotch sitting on the edge of the bed, already showered and dressed. "Good morning."

"Good morning." He leaned over to kiss her and laughed when she pulled him back onto the bed with her. "We have to meet the team in half an hour."

Emily moaned again, releasing him. "I better get up and shower then. You should have woken me up earlier." She pointed to his wet hair. Joint showers were a new thing for them and she was already addicted.

"I wanted to let you sleep." Hotch sat up and smoothed out his suit pants. "I have the day with Jack this afternoon and tomorrow."

"Oh, okay. We can work something out for next week." Emily sat up, clutching the sheet against her chest as she went.

"I want you to come." Her head whipped up. "I think it's time he met you."

"Are you sure?" Emily's nerves were building up in her chest. She had met the boy a couple of times, but after Hotch's divorce it had been quite a while. "Does Haley know?"

"She knows I'm seeing someone. We talked about it last week and she agreed that it would be okay."

"Well it's up to you. I want to, and if you're both okay with it I would love to spend the day with you." Emily smiled at him. This was an important step for him, and she knew that it wasn't an easy decision.

"Great. I was thinking we could go to the zoo tomorrow. Jack's been eager to see the new penguin exhibit. Does that work for you? I can pick you up at nine."

Emily nodded. "That works perfectly." She kneeled next to him, wrapping her arms around him. "This makes me very happy you know."

"I thought it might." Hotch met her lips briefly before breaking the kiss off. "But you need to get ready now." He pointed to his watch.

Emily pouted as he stood up and she followed suit, collecting her clothes from the floor. "I'll see you down there?"

"Yes." He winked at her and she just laughed. She gave him one last smile before closing the adjoining door behind her.

The flight was uneventful, and Emily had to stop herself from smiling every two minutes while she sat next to JJ. "So any plans for the weekend?"

"Will wants to take Henry to the park, so probably just some family time. You?" The blonde sipped her tea quietly, finishing it.

"Nothing exciting, probably clean out the fridge. It's been awhile." Emily pointed to the empty cup. "I'm going to grab a refill, you want one?"

JJ nodded. "Sure. I'll just come with you, I need to stretch my legs." She stood up and followed Emily to the front of the plane. "Anyone else need anything?"

"A coffee if you wouldn't mind." Morgan raised one finger. He turned to Hotch who was sitting next to him. "You want anything?"

"I'll take one as well please." Hotch looked up from his case files and reports and gave the two women an appreciative smile.

"You got it." Emily searched the plane for the remainder of their team, but noticed that both Reid and Rossi already had full cups of coffee. She walked up to the coffee pot, pouring Morgan a black coffee and Hotch one with one cream and one sugar. She had memorized everyone's coffee preferences the first week on the job, and now it just came second nature to her.

"Do you want the same kind?" JJ held up a bag of green tea, and Emily nodded. The blonde refilled both of their cups with hot water and picked them up, waiting for Emily to do the same with the coffees. "Trying to cut back on coffee too?"

Emily nodded. "Just for a bit. These last few months I feel like I've been downing it constantly."

"I would be too, but I'm staying off of it until Henry moves onto solid food." JJ waited for Emily as she handed the men their coffees, then followed her back to their seats.

"How is he doing?"

"Great, he's been talking a lot. Mostly baby nonsense, but Will says it's constant. Another couple of months and he'll be forming words I think." JJ pulled out a picture that she had recently taken of her son. "This was at the park last week."

"He's getting so big! I need to come for a visit soon." Emily admired the photo of the baby for a few minutes before handing it back to her friend. "You going to try for another one?"

"I think so. We're going to wait for a little bit, but we both want Henry to grow up with a brother or sister."

"That's great." Emily took a sip of her tea. "I know he'll be excited about that."

The two women chatted until the plane landed and everyone had dispersed with their belongings. Emily drove home to her empty brownstone and dropped her bag at the door. She made her way into her kitchen and opened her fridge to analyze the contents. Old takeout, an expired carton of milk and a shriveled lemon greeted her and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. After throwing everything away, she changed out of her work clothes and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and grabbed her keys.

She was halfway through the dairy aisle when her cell phone rang. "Prentiss."

"Hey, where are you?" She smiled at the sound of Hotch's voice on the other end.

"I'm just at the store. What's up?"

"I'm just on my way to pick up Jack." His voice was slightly distorted, so she figured he must have had his speaker phone on. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Hmmm, well I'm glad you called. What are you boys up to tonight?"

"Taking him out for dinner and then maybe a movie. Nothing too exciting." The silence rang through on his end and Emily knew something was up.

"Okay, spit it out. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Dave was just talking to me on the plane."

Emily shuffled the phone to her other hand as she picked up a carton of orange juice. "About what?"

"I think he's been keeping tabs on me since the divorce. He wanted to set me up."

Emily laughed. "And what did you say to him?"

"That I wasn't interested." Hotch cleared his throat. "I don't think he took that as an acceptable answer."

"Poor baby." Emily rolled her cart towards the cash register. "So what are you going to do?"

"Nothing. Dave's persistent, but he will take no for an answer when it comes to my personal life."

"So I won't have to beat any women away with a stick?"

"Unfortunately no." Hotch pulled up to Jack's school. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will. Nine, right?"

"Yes, see you then. I love you." The line went dead and Emily stared at her phone. Did he really just say that?

The cashier looked up at her and she started unloading her things. She waited until her groceries were bagged and unloaded into her car before taking her phone out again. She had one text message from Hotch.

_It wasn't planned, but I'm not going to apologize for saying it._

Emily's eyes watered. God he was such a sweet, adorable man. Some days she didn't know how she got so lucky. She started her vehicle and drove home. She carried her groceries into her kitchen and set them down, emptying the bags into the fridge. When she was done, she checked her watch. It was only three in the afternoon. How was she supposed to wait eighteen more hours to see him?

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Her doorbell rang at 8:57 am. To say that she was a nervous wreck would've been an understatement. She had slept restlessly during the night, her nerves going into over drive. At four a.m. she had given up and gone for a run to clear her head. But now, here she was and she wasn't waiting one more second to see him.

"Good morning." Hotch greeted her with a smile. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. "He's waiting in the car."

Emily nodded. She looked out her door to see Jack leaning out the car window in her visitor parking stall. "Let me just grab my purse."

Hotch waited for her, keeping an eye on his son. Before Emily closed her door, she pulled him in for a moment and threw her arms around him and kissed him. She pulled away after a moment, keeping it short. Hotch's eyes were wide with surprise, and she just shrugged and led him outside.

The day was fantastic. Emily and Jack got along extremely well, and would often run ahead and leave Hotch behind to shake his head in amusement. At the end of the day Emily carried the boy in her arms, watching as he slept as they walked to Hotch's SUV. She passed him to his father and waited as he was buckled in.

"He's out hard," Hotch whispered, closing the door gently. He turned to the brunette waiting for him. "He had a great time."

"So did I." Emily smiled at the sleeping boy and looked to Hotch. "Home time?"

"Yes. Can you come for dinner?" Hotch checked his watch. It was almost five.

"If you want me to, I would love that." Emily gave him a kiss on the cheek before getting into the front seat. The drive was relatively quiet to keep from waking Jack. They pulled into the parking garage and Emily carefully lifted Jack from his seat. She followed Hotch into the elevator.

When they arrived at his floor, Hotch quickly opened the door to his condo to let Emily in. "His room is down the hall to the left." He watched her take the boy to his room and she disappeared inside for a few moments before joining him in the kitchen.

"What are we having?" Emily watched Hotch look in his freezer, taking a seat in one of his kitchen chairs.

"Nothing too fancy. Just chicken fingers and macaroni. Is that alright?"

"Sounds perfect. Do you need any help?"

"No it should only be a few minutes. I just need to put these into the oven." He held up a bag of frozen chicken fingers. "I'll start the macaroni when he wakes up."

Emily nodded and relaxed in her chair, waiting for him to finish. "Is he always this energetic?"

"Only when we go to the zoo. He loves animals." Hotch slid the tray of chicken fingers into the oven. "There. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Water is fine." She watched him pour her a glass and took it from him. "Thank you."

Hotch poured himself a glass as well and joined her. He took a sip and set it down, taking her hand. "I'm glad you could be there with us today."

"I'm glad I could too." Emily set her glass down and looked up at him. "You know that I love you too, right?"

Hotch smiled at her, raising her hand to kiss it. "I was afraid I had scared you away after yesterday."

"You could never scare me away." Emily leaned over and kissed him softly. They both gave into the moment, but pulled away when it started to get heated. Now was not the time for that. Emily smiled at him. "So what are you going to do about Dave?"

"I'm a single father who's a workaholic. Trust me, I don't have time to date." Hotch winked at her and she jokingly rolled her eyes.

"He's a good friend to worry about you like that."

"Has JJ said anything?"

"No," Emily laughed, shaking her head. "I think she gave up a long time ago on trying to set me up. Too many failures. Penelope on the other hand is a different story."

"Daddy?" Both adults looked up to see Jack standing at the edge of the hallway, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Hey buddy." Hotch stood up and walked over to his son, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes." The little boy nodded. "Is Emily eating with us?"

"She sure is. Do you want to go sit with her while I start the macaroni?" Jack nodded. "Okay, you go ahead. Your crayons are on the bottom shelf by the table if you want to color."

"Emily can you color with me?" Jack walked over to the shelf with his crayons and pulled them out, putting them on the table next to her.

"I sure can." She took one of the sheets of paper that he was holding out to her and smiled at him. "What should we draw?"

"Dinos." Jack pointed to a book about dinosaurs on the shelf and Emily pulled it out, opening it to a page about herbivores.

"Oh, these are my favorite." Emily pointed to the triceratops. "Which ones do you like?"

Jack pointed to a stegosaurus. "Him."

"Oh I like them too. Good choice." Emily started to draw a rough version of a triceratops and watched Jack concentrate on his drawing. Hotch smiled at her and started on the macaroni.

Dinner was a relaxed affair. Jack insisted on watching cartoons while they ate, and neither Emily nor Hotch felt like saying no to the boy. After the plates were cleared away, Jack brought out his Legos and the three of them built a castle complete with drawbridge and a mote.

At around eight o'clock, Hotch couldn't ignore his son's yawns anymore. "Okay, I think it's time for bed buddy. Mom said you have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Can you get your jacket?"

Jack pouted but did as he was told, even putting his shoes on. "Emily will you come play with me tomorrow?"

Her heart melted at his request. "I don't know about tomorrow, but the absolute next chance I get to see you, I'll come play. Is that okay?"

"Okay." Jack zipped his jacket up, waiting for his father.

Hotch turned to Emily. "I just need to drop him off at Haley's and then I'll be back. Will you be alright?"

Emily nodded. "Go ahead. I'll be here." She watched him usher his son out the door.

Hotch walked Jack down to his vehicle and buckled him into the back seat. Once they were on the road, he looked at his son in the rearview mirror. "So did you have fun with Emily today?"

"Yes." Jack smiled at his father. "I like her."

"Good. How would you feel about Emily being around more? Would you be okay with that?"

Jack took a moment to think about it, then nodded to his father. "Yes."

"Okay." Hotch decided to take it slow with his son. The last thing that Hotch wanted was for him to get hurt. "Are you going to be good at the doctor tomorrow?"

Jack nodded, looking out the window as Hotch pulled into Haley's front driveway. "Mommy said we can get ice cream after."

"Wow, ice cream? That'll be fun." Hotch put the car into park and got out to help his son out. He saw Haley open the door for them. "Hi."

"Hello Aaron. Did you have fun today Jack?" The blonde leaned down to give her son a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah. Emily was fun." The boy gave his father a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Bye Daddy, I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you next weekend." Hotch watched Haley usher their son inside. "Let me know how the appointment goes tomorrow."

Haley nodded. "So, it went okay?"

"I think so. They got along great."

"Well I'm happy for you." Haley gave her ex-husband a tight smile. She had recognized the name immediately. "Tell Agent Prentiss I said hello." She turned to close the door but Hotch stopped her.

"Haley, you know that I was always faithful to you, don't you?"

"I know that Aaron. And I know that we both have to move on. I'm truly happy for you." Haley turned back to him. She had an idea of the disciplinary actions that were taken with an inter-office relationship. "Just…be careful."

"No one knows. Except for you and Jack," Hotch explained. "For now, anyway."

"Alright. But like I said, be careful." Haley gave him another small smile. "I'll speak to you tomorrow. Goodnight."

Hotch watched her shut the door and walked back to his vehicle. He backed out of the driveway and headed back to his condo, his thoughts swimming in his head. Haley was right. They did need to be careful. But all that he cared about was keeping Emily safe, and he would fight to keep her. He pulled into his parking garage and decided to take the stairs to his condo.

Emily turned her head when she heard the sound of the key in the door and stood up. She smiled as Hotch came in. "Should I call a cab or are you driving me ho-?" She was cut off as he pulled her up and kissed her passionately.

He pulled back and she frowned at the loss of contact. "Stay?"

Emily knew they had to go into the office the next day, but at that moment she didn't care. She just wanted to show him how much she loved him.

"Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: So I met Shemar Moore and Kirsten Vangsness last week! It was a dream. They are both fantastic! Anyway, here's another one that's a little angsty. Kind of a flip-flop between their season 5/6 issues and her return in Season 7. Last one is coming immediately after it. I start my masters next week so my availability is going to diminish quite quickly. Thanks again for all the fantastic reviews on chapter 2. Love you guys!_

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1._

Emily should have known it was too good to be true. They didn't get into any big fights, the sex was amazing, even though it was far too scarce for her liking, and he was so loving and passionate when they were together.

And then George Foyet went and screwed it all up.

She had known when Hotch hadn't called her when they had returned from Canada that something wasn't right. A feeling deep inside of her had urged her to go over and see him when his phone had gone to voicemail several times, but she pushed it away. The whole team was mentally and physically exhausted, so it would be completely normal if he had fallen asleep without calling her.

But he had always called her, especially on bad cases. The connection they had with one another was the only thing that saved them from the horrors of their job. Emily had fallen asleep staring at her cell phone screen, waiting for it to light up. But it never did until four hours later when she was called into a case.

Hotch still hadn't called her, and he was incredibly late. And that uneasy feeling continued to build well into the day as she and Reid sat there talking with Dr. Barton until she couldn't take it anymore. She took the only chance she saw and left Reid there alone to continue the profile. As she had made her way up the stairs to his apartment and announced her arrival, the ringing of his cell phone told her everything she needed to know.

And standing there, watching him in the hospital bed in Saint Sebastian as she looked on, the relief was slowly being replaced by anxiety. She saw him lose Haley and Jack and knew that things would never be the same again.

And she was right. A month without Jack had gotten to him. Hell, Foyet stabbing him and leaving him to die while going after his family had been the last straw. Emily had watched him change that day, and the man that she had fallen in love with over the last eight months had started to change.

But she refused to give up on him and would walk him up to his apartment every night even when he told her that she didn't have to. Even when he let her leave without one request to ask her to stay.

She watched him throw himself into a hostage situation without a vest to try and save a boy from Darrin Call's unstable state. She watched him selflessly go after their UnSub to save a woman from having her eyes cut out. She watched his walls be immediately torn down after the Fox taunted him with the message from Foyet. She watched him shake with anger as he threw his briefcase against the backseat and break down in the SUV.

She watched as they took Haley away in a body bag and how Jack clung confused to his father. She watched as his world fell apart.

She watched and wondered if he ever loved her, or if they had been living in a fantasy world. She watched as her own nightmares started to creep back into her world and terrorize her reality. She watched as he stood at the front of the room, completely oblivious to the fact that she was leaving them because she couldn't endanger them.

As tears fell down her face and she slipped out of the bullpen to hunt down Ian Doyle, she wished that she could have had the chance to kiss him one last time before she left. Because even though he may have stopped loving her, she would never stop loving him

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

She was one of the smartest women he had ever known, but coincidentally one of the stupidest. She had run from them instead of asking for their help. His help. He knew that things were a mess, hell the last year had been a disaster.

He had been confused. Haley's death had shown him that his feelings for his ex-wife had not disappeared. And Emily had been a rock for him while he was grieving, even if their romance had dissipated into thin air. He had been a mess to say the least, but he wasn't ignorant to how she still looked at him. It had been too soon to talk to her, he thought, so he had climbed right back into his job and buried himself to distract from her presence.

The way her long, brown hair fell against her face. The way her lips pouted when she was concerned about him or another member of the team. The way she let a breath out when she was vulnerable. The way she smiled when she would tease Reid about women or flirt harmlessly with Morgan.

The way she used to curl herself around him in bed. The way her lips felt against his when she kissed him. The way his given name sounded on her tongue when he pushed her over the edge. The way she smiled when he told her he loved her, so long ago.

When she had gone after Doyle and lost, with Morgan's shouts echoing down the hall as they ran to find her, he lost another thing in his life that he needed. As the paramedics raced to work on her and carried her into the ambulance, he knew that he had made another huge mistake.

Losing Haley's love had been a long time coming, and losing her to the hands of Foyet was unforgivable for him. He knew he had lost Emily a long time ago, but he couldn't lose all of her. He just couldn't.

But he was given another chance. She defied all the odds and held on. The doctors told him that she would need to be transported to Bethesda to be better looked after. Looking at JJ in the hallway they both knew what would have to happen. Her monster was still out there, and he couldn't lose her again. But he had to let her go. He had led the others out, who were completely heartbroken at the lies he told of her death, and he had gone back in to wait with JJ. The doctors gave them Emily's belongings. JJ held onto her purse, but Hotch took her badge and shoved it inside his pocket. He put a hand on JJ's shoulder and they both left Emily lying in a hospital bed.

JJ had gone to meet her in Paris. They had both pulled strings and gone to extra measures to make sure she could survive completely under the radar. She wasn't Emily Prentiss any longer. Not until they could catch Doyle. He had written a short letter, telling her how to contact him if she had an emergency and keeping it short, not wanting to get into anything. It wasn't fair to her, not after everything.

Six months dragged on, and he was sent away on assignment. He thought of her every day, knowing that Morgan was continuing the man hunt for Doyle under the radar. When he finally got the confirmation call, he flew back in a moment's notice.

And then she was back and Doyle was dead, and her monsters were buried just like his were. But they weren't forgotten. He knew that Morgan blamed him and Reid blamed JJ, and Emily blamed herself.

She had her bad days, and she came to him. But things were different. She had changed too, like he had. Even though he knew that he still loved her, he had to let her go.

They both had to move on.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: The end! ALTERNATE REALITY HERE! Because the reality of the situation is not ideal, so I made up this sappiness. Thanks for everything! Stay tuned for more to come in my other fics, especially Peace of Mind!_

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1._

Hotch sat in his apartment, listening to Beth over the phone. "What are you saying?"

"Aaron, you know that I really care about you, but I just think that we've had our run. The distance," she took a breath, "It's not working like I thought it would."

He silently nodded, rubbing a hand across his forehead. He could tell over the last few weeks that things had been dwindling between them. "What do I tell Jack?" The little boy had fallen in love with her easily while they had dated.

"Whatever you think is best." Her voice lingered on the phone. "Aaron, I'm sorry. It's not you, honestly you're the most amazing man I've ever known, and I never regretted a moment of it."

"I understand. I'll make sure I send your things over this week. Take care of yourself." He waited for her to hang up and set his phone down. He stared at his hands and balled them into fists.

"Dad?" His son peered around the corner. "Who was it? Work?"

He took a deep breath and waved his son over. "That was Beth. She...she's not going to be able to make it this weekend."

Jack nodded. "Next weekend then?"

"No kiddo, I'm sorry. Her and I...we aren't going to be seeing each other anymore." He saw his son's face fall. "I'm sorry buddy, I didn't see it coming either." Years of interviewing serial killers had taught him how to keep a pretty stern poker face. But tonight, he didn't feel strong. He felt broken. Third strike and you're out old boy, he thought.

"I think...I'm going to go back to my room." Jack tried to keep on a brave face, but Hotch could see he was upset.

It was going to be a long night.

A few weeks passed and Hotch consumed himself in his work, as always. As he unlocked his front door and threw his bag to the side, he saw his son and sister-in-law standing nearby. "Did I miss something?"

Jack slung his back pack onto his shoulder as he smiled at his father. "Ashton just called me. His mom wanted to know if I could come for a sleep over. Can I?"

Hotch looked at his son and couldn't deny him some happiness. And it was the weekend after all. "Sure. Can I give you a ride?"

Jack shook his head. "No, it's okay, Auntie Jess is going to."

"Okay, well have fun. Call me tomorrow if you need a ride." Hotch smiled at Jessica. "Thanks, I'll see you Monday?"

"You bet. Have a good weekend, Aaron." She leaned over to drop a kiss on his cheek and followed a bouncing Jack out the door.

The lingering silence was deafening and he tucked his cell phone into his jean pocket and forced himself to look through the fridge to prepare dinner for himself. But the limp lettuce and half rotten celery inside stared back at him and he slammed the door shut. He dug out some flyers and decided on pizza, calling in the order quickly. He stood by the fridge, staring at the clock as the seconds ticked by.

A knock on the door startled him and he checked the peephole. He saw a flash of silky brown hair in front of him and opened it immediately. "Prentiss?" He winced at the formality and corrected himself. "Emily, what are you doing here?"

She gave him a nervous smile. "Hey, sorry to pop in like this but I really need one of your files."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Couldn't wait until Monday?" He had no doubt that Garcia hadn't given up on trying to set her up with one of many potential suitors since she had been raised from the dead, and Emily was always looking for an excuse to duck and cover when she could.

"I had a hunch and they don't have very good reruns on Saturday nights." She shrugged and looked at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting something? I'm sorry, I should have called or-"

"No, you aren't." He moved aside to let her in. "Jack and Jessica just left. She dropped him off at a sleep over."

She nodded, not bothering to ask about Beth. Somehow it had made it through the grapevine that Hotch was a single man again, and she had to keep from rolling her eyes at the women in the office who would gossip about how they were planning to sink their claws into him next.

"What file?" He picked up his briefcase and set it on the kitchen counter.

"The Morrison file, it came in Tuesday from Dallas." He nodded and dug through the files, pulling out the one she wanted and handing it to her.

"Anything else?" She shook her head.

"No that's it, thank you. I'll leave you to enjoy your weekend." He saw something linger in her eyes as she turned away, and he put a hand on her arm.

"Wait. Can you stay?" He released her quickly. "We can go through it together. Do you have the other files? I have nothing better to do, if you want some fresh eyes."

Emily nodded and pointed to her own bag. "Are you sure?"

"Please, have a seat." Hotch heard a knock at his door and reached for his wallet. "Hungry?"

Her eyes widened slightly but she nodded. They were friends now after all, and she shouldn't be reading into it. "Yes, I skipped lunch." She watched him open the door and pay the delivery guy. She looked up and smiled in appreciation as he set the pizza in between them on the table. It was hard not to think about the events that followed the last time they had ordered the savoury treat.

He found some plates and handed her one, taking a few slices for himself and then turning to meet her eyes. "So, what do you have?"

Two hours passed as she showed him her research. She had connected two double homicides in Dallas to three potential suicides in St. Louis. "The change of the ligature marks threw me off, but I think he's evolving. Learning how to keep them controlled while he holds them before disposing of them." She pointed to the photos in front of them. "These marks on their lower chest are too similar to be coincidence. Might be a watch impression of some kind? And he likely has to travel for work which would explain the geographical dispersion."

Hotch leaned back and took a sip of his beer. "This is good work, Emily. I'll send an email to JJ right now to give the lead sheriffs the details so they can compare notes." He pulled out his phone and sent the blonde the information quickly while it was fresh in his mind. When he finished, he cleared his throat to get her attention again. "There's a good chance we'll be invited in on this one."

Emily nodded and finished her own beer. They had raided Hotch's fridge and found four beers which had been easily split between them. "I should clean up, it's getting late."

"Leave it." He took the pizza box from her and folded it up, putting it on his kitchen island for the morning garbage disposal. He turned to her. "Do you want another drink?" He pointed to a bottle of Scotch on his mantle.

Drinking with Hotch on a Saturday night after they had discussed a case, when his relationship had ended only a few weeks ago? To say that their timing was awful was an understatement. But Emily refused to let herself read anything into it. It was just a drink with a friend and co-worker, wasn't it? "Why not? I'll need to take a cab anyway." She pointed to the empty beer bottles.

He nodded and got them two glasses out of his cupboard. "Ice?"

"No thanks." She took the glass he handed her. "What should we toast to?"

"New beginnings?" He knew that this was starting to get inappropriate, but the cautionary part of him was being shoved down beneath the side of him that missed her desperately.

Their glasses clinked and they both sipped the alcohol, letting it burn as it went down their throats. They were leaning against the kitchen table, and Hotch took a leap. "Couch?"

"Sure." She slowly followed him to the couch and sat on the opposite end of him. The silence consumed them once more and Emily let out a breath. That's when Hotch decided he couldn't take it.

He slid over next to her and took the glass from her. He saw her concern, but didn't let her speak as he leaned over and let his lips touch hers.

What he didn't expect was her hand against his chest to push him away as she turned away from him. "Aaron, I can't. You just ended things with Beth." She couldn't be the rebound. Not like this. "I-"

"Emily." He brought a hand up to her face to cup her cheek, turning her head back to his. "I've been an idiot."

"We both have been," she admitted as she looked into his eyes, the regret in her face finally bare to him. "I-I never stopped caring about you, but I can't do this." She stood up and walked to get her purse and briefcase from the table but he followed her immediately.

"Emily, please, listen to me." He took a breath before continuing, holding onto her hand. "I was afraid. I lost Haley. I lost you. I was confused. We both changed and I didn't know how to fix it and we were both so broken. I thought that it was best for both of us and Jack to move on."

"So what, Beth trampled your plans and you decided that I was ready and willing?" The words coming out of her were meant to hurt him, and she hated it. How did they get here? "Aaron, do you know what that makes me feel like?" She twisted her arm away from him.

"Emily, no it's not like that." He was screwing up big time. "Please, don't go. That's not what I want. I mean, I want you, but I have for a long time."

She was confused now. "What are you talking about?" She crossed her arms defensively in front of her.

"Can you please sit down? Please?" He begged her, gesturing to the table. It was less casual than the couch. He watched her internal battle and almost sighed with relief when she nodded.

"Fine." She pulled out a chair. If she stormed out of there now, they would be screwed on Monday, and it would be hard to hide from the team. "Explain."

"Beth and I were on the rocks, and even though she ended it I knew that it was the right thing to do." He took her hand as he sat down. It was time to be honest. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since the moment you walked back through the conference room door. But I wanted to be fair to you, so I waited. And after awhile, I thought that maybe I really had lost you a long time ago. So I moved on, but it wasn't enough. Not having you was worse than I thought it would be."

She stared at him and then down at their hands. "Hotch..." This hurt more than she thought it could. "I can't tell you that I don't care about you, but I also don't know if I can take losing you again." She turned away from him when tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She steeled herself and looked back to him. "It's so easy now what we have. Do you want to ruin that?"

There was no question that their friendship had strengthened over the last year. He had saved her life after all. And it was always about her, even when Derek tore into him about hiding her from them. It would always be about her. "If you tell me you don't want this, I'll leave it alone. We can forget it ever happened."

She smiled sadly at his words. "It's not always about what I want." A single tear escaped from beneath her eyelid and slid down her cheek.

"Please Emily." He slid off of his chair, coming around to kneel in front of her to be closer to her. "Please give me another chance." He wiped the tear from her cheek and took both of her hands in his. "Give us another chance."

Emily stared at him, a million thoughts running through her head. God, they had been through so much and here they were now, back at the beginning. And she was scared...no, terrified, that some lunatic would come along and ruin things again. But she was scared that if she said no, and she lost him and some lunatic didn't destroy their lives, then she would have made the biggest mistake of her life. And she didn't think she could live with that. She looked down at him and pulled him up with her as she stood. His eyes didn't leave hers once. "I never stopped loving you, you know."

Hotch nodded, smiling at her. "I missed you so much. I didn't want to, but I did. I do." He searched her eyes as he leaned closer. "Emily, I-"

She cut him off, looping her arms around his neck to pull him down to her. Her lips crashed into his and the passion immediately unfurled between them.

He knew that it was moving too fast, but he didn't care. By some miracle, he had her back. He pushed her onto the table and her legs wrapped around his waist as they continued to kiss.

She could feel papers beneath her and she pushed him up so that she could get off, the OCD in her coming out for a brief moment. She quickly gathered up the files and stacked them on the kitchen counter, then leaned back into him and tugged him down once more.

When his shirt sailed across the living room, he knew they were both fully invested in the moment. He released her for a moment and took in her appearance. Her lipstick was smeared to one side and almost gone, and he assumed that he had a good amount of it on his own face. "Bed?"

"Yes." She took his hand and followed him to his room. It was different from the last time she had been in it, but she didn't want to waste time analyzing the interior decorating. She took advantage of the moment and disposed of her own shirt and pants quickly. Two years was a long time and she was done waiting. "Pants off, now."

He smirked at her authoritative tone and obliged, sliding them off quickly. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto the bed with him, kissing along her chin as he went. "You're so beautiful. Even more than I remember." He kissed along her chest where the scar was of her removal of the clover Doyle had left her with, and along her stomach where she had been stabbed. "I hated losing you, do you know that?"

"I hated losing you too." Her hands ran across his chest to each of his scars of where he had been stabbed by Foyet. "That was the worst day of my life."

"I'm sorry, Emily." He kissed her deeply, his thumb caressing her cheek. He released her as she caught his face in her hands.

"You never have anything to be sorry for." She kissed him again softly. "We're here now." Her eyes met his. "I want you so much."

He nodded and rid them of the rest of the scarce remaining clothing between them, then reached into his side drawer, pulling out protection and readying himself. When he turned back to her, his breath caught at the sight of her smile. He took her hands and kissed both of her palms as he stared at her. "I'll never leave you again."

She sighed as they joined. "Ever?"

"Never."

And he kept his word.


End file.
